Boeing 737-300 accident near Oakland, California, March 17, 1989
On March 17, 1989 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Boeing 737-300, registered N12318, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oakland, California (Oakland Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 69 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IGNITION OF PUDDLED FUEL FROM A BLOCKED COMBUSTOR DRAIN LINE, AND A SLOW START DURING WHICH FUEL WAS MISTED AND BLOWN OUT THE TAIL PIPE. AN EXISTING TAILWIND AT THE GATE ALLOWED THE FUEL TO WET THE TAIL SURFACES AND BE IGNITED DURING THE APU START. THE OPERATOR CONFIRMED USING RTV MATERIAL IN THE APU BUILDUP PROCESS AT THEIR FACILITY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1989 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oakland, California · Oakland Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 69 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-300 · all 737-300s on the register
- Registration
- N12318 · no longer on the register · serial 318
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CREW WAS NOT AWARE AN APU FIRE HAD OCCURRED AT THE GATE PRIOR TO STARTING THE MAIN ENGINES. AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATIONS; AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED, AND THE FLIGHT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ABOUT 1/2 OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ELEVATOR & TRIM TAB WERE SEVERELY FIRE DAMAGED. THE TAIL CONE WAS CHARRED & BLISTERED OVER A 3 FT BY 3 FT AREA. FOUR GROUND SERVICE PERSONNEL HANDLED THE AIRCRAFT DURING PUSHBACK. THE APU COMBUSTOR CAP DRAIN LINE WAS FOUND CLOGGED WITH SEVERAL PIECES OF ROOM TEMPERATURE VULCANIZING (RTV) MATERIAL (POTTING COMPOUND) USED IN THE APU BUILDUP PROCESS. THE APU MANUFACTURER'S OVERHAUL MANUAL CAUTIONS OPERATORS TO USE RTV SPARINGLY, AND TO REMOVE ANY EXCESS PRIOR TO INSTALLING EXHAUST PIPE SHIMS TO PREVENT PLUGGED FUEL DRAIN FITTINGS AND TORCHING STARTS. IN ADDITION, THE ATOMIZER ASSEMBLY SHOWED STREAKING IN THE PRIMARY ORIFICES, AND EXAMINATION OF THE OIL PUMP REVEALED SLOW SEQUENCING (IGNITION AND FUEL INITIATION).
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,633 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 135,000 lb
- Seats: 149
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CFM-56-3 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Observation at 7:45 pm from OAK, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | |||
| Passengers | 64 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N12318 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.